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A Republican-led push to switch Nebraska to a winner-take-all system for presidential elections has run out of steam after a key lawmaker said Monday he will not back a late effort to help former President Donald Trump in November.
Such a change would have left Maine as the only state in the country to award its Electoral College votes by congressional district. Maine and Nebraska have long given votes to the winner of their districts — two in Maine and three in Nebraska — in addition to giving two at-large electors to the statewide winner.
What’s the context: Republican Gov. Jim Pillen as well as Trump came out earlier this year in support of legislation to change Nebraska to a winner-take-all system after conservatives noted it could help Trump break a potential 269-269 tie against Vice President Kamala Harris.
The pure politics surrounding the move related to how President Joe Biden and other Democrats have previously carried the Omaha-area congressional district while Nebraska’s remaining four electoral votes have repeatedly gone to Republicans. Trump allies including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina renewed their push last week.
What happened: Pillen indicated this month he would call a special session to pass a winner-take-all proposal if 33 state senators in Nebraska’s 49-seat unicameral Legislature committed to supporting it. But that support never materialized.
That became clear on Monday, when Sen. Mike McDonnell, R-Omaha, said Monday he would not support such a change nearly 40 days before the Nov. 5 election.
“Elections should be an opportunity for all voters to be heard, no matter who they are, where they live or what party they support,” McDonnell said in a statement, also suggesting state lawmakers should let voters take up the issue in future years as a constitutional amendment.
What’s next: Maine lawmakers were essentially out of time this year to respond to any Nebraska change ahead of each state’s electors convening Dec. 17 to cast their ballots following the Nov. 5 election. But future attempts in Nebraska could keep the issue in play in Maine, where Democrats control the Legislature and could cancel such a move out.
Maine’s Democratic leaders did not immediately respond Monday to requests for comment. House Majority Leader Mo Terry, D-Gorham, said in April her colleagues would be “compelled” to consider a special session if Nebraska changed its system. Aside from that, members on both sides of the aisle have expressed some level of approval of Maine’s current system.
